OFFICIALS IN INDONESIA have said the wreckage of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane that disappeared yesterday has been found, BBC News reports.
The jet, carrying 47 people, went off radar in western Indonesia during a demonstration flight over mountains in West Java Wednesday afternoon. There is little hope that any survivors will be found.
“From the pictures we’re seeing, it looks like it was a total loss,” said Daryatmo, chief of the national search and rescue agency, as the first images flashed across local TV.
Search and rescue teams are continuing to operate in the area at the side of a cliff near a dormant volcano. Bad weather has hampered the search but the Indonesian President said on national television that a helicopter spotted the shattered plane at Salak mountains.
The Sukhoi Superjet-100, a civilian plane, took off from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at 2pm local time (7am GMT) and was scheduled to return 50 minutes later. The demonstration flight of the Russian-made plane was organised to impress potential buyers and journalists.
Air controllers lost contact after 21 minutes when the plane reportedly dropped from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet, said Gagah Prakoso, a spokesman for the national search agency.
The plane is Russia’s first passenger jet in about 20 years. It is not sure what caused the crash and investigation will be launched to determine if there was a mechanical fault or pilot error.
The aircraft was on a “Welcome Asia!” road show with stops in countries stretching from Pakistan to Laos and Vietnam.
Russia has hoped that the short- to mid-range jet, which made its maiden run in 2008, will help it break into international markets dominated by Boeing and Airbus.
-Additional reporting by AP
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